The worldwide competition to appoint four Glenrothes whisky makers closes at the end of January. According to organisers, response to the competition has been very strong but there is still a chance to enter online. The successful candidates will be recruited to work as The Glenrothes whisky makers at the Speyside distillery, Scotland.

Winners will spend time working at each stage of the whisky-making process: testing the purity of the water source at the distillery’s two springs; milling the malt to achieve the correct proportions of husk, grits and flour; mashing to ensure maximum extraction of sugars in the wort; adding yeast to the washbacks and overseeing fermentation; distilling new make spirit in our tall copper pot stills. From there the whisky makers will be involved in making casks at the cooperage, laying down casks for maturation and rolling casks to the warehouse.

The whisky makers will nose single malt from maturing casks and have the opportunity to create their own selection of The Glenrothes, with their own hand-written tasting notes on the label.

Winners will stay in Rothes House and the prize also includes a visit to the Scotch Whisky Experience in Edinburgh and dinner with whisky writer Charles MacLean.

To enter, candidates should supply their name and personal details and 50 words or fewer as to why they are the perfect candidate for the job. Runner up prizes will also be on offer and entries will be accepted in English, Spanish and Chinese.

Judging and announcement of winners will take place in February and the whisky makers will undertake their apprenticeship from May 8-14, 2011.